AFC Notes: Colts, Anthony Richardson, Texans, Titans

Colts

Colts GM Chris Ballard knows he just tied his dream job to the future success of first-round QB Anthony Richardson, who enters the NFL with limitless upside but also a lot of work to do to get there. Ballard seems ready to ride the rollercoaster. 

“I would rather take the risk, the risk that he might fail, than pass on him and see him become a star somewhere else,” Ballard said via NBC Sports’ Peter King. “We’re taking a guy not only for what he can do today but for what he can become tomorrow. I’ve told our guys here: Anthony might have some games where he’s nine of 22 for 105 yards — but in the game he’ll run 10 times for 115 yards. It just might look different for a while.”

While Richardson has a reputation as being a raw prospect, there’s a line of thinking that he’s not so much raw as inexperienced, with just 13 college starts. It’ll be fascinating to see how the Colts handle his rookie season, whether they give him time on the bench behind QB Gardner Minshew or toss him in right away. 

“We gotta get him in here and see where he is,” Ballard said. “We don’t know. He turns 21 this month — he’s so young still. Let us figure out what he can handle before making any decisions. But there’s not many people who can do what he does. When [Colts chief personnel executive] Morocco Brown watched him, he came back and told me: ‘I’m watching this kid in practice, and I’m drooling.’”

Texans

Texans’ recently signed S Jimmie Ward said he will be tasked with being an “extra coach” on the field under HC DeMeco Ryans given his familiarity with the system. 

“To be honest, to be an extra coach,” Ward said, via ProFootballTalk. “Obviously, I know this defense. I’m not perfect. Sometimes, I’m pretty sure I make mistakes. Just try to bring the younger guys along because I’ve been through a lot going on my tenth year in this league. Really just try to explain to them my experience and tell them in this defense that you’ve got to work as a string. If somebody is off on this defense, we can give up an explosive [play].”

Ward said Ryans’ system will rely on its pass rush, which is beneficial for defensive backs. 

“In this defense, you don’t have to force plays,” Ward said. “Like I said earlier, this defense is ran through the defensive front. This is going to be an attacking D-line. All you have to do is be in your spot and plays will come to you.”

Ward pointed out that Ryans briefly approached him while with the 49ers about potentially playing for him in the future. 

“We chatted about it a little bit,” Ward said. “We didn’t do too much talking about it when we were in San Francisco. He told me, I’d like you to play for me. That’s kind of where we cut that conversation off.”

Titans

Titans OL Aaron Brewer said he’s been getting reps at center and it’s their goal to have him “take over that role.” 

“I have been working at center right now,” Brewer said, via Jim Wyatt of the team’s official site. “And I would say that is the goal for the team right now – for me to move into the center spot and take over that role.”

Brewer thinks he fits well into the center role and reiterated he’s “next up at that spot.”

“Center fits me well, because I’m in the middle and I’m facing those big noses, and I’m quick and I’m athletic and have natural leverage, so that’s a good spot for me. Since I’ve been here, I’ve been in that guard/center role. In my second year, I came in a couple of games at center. Ben has just been that certified center, but I’ve been for sure next up at that spot,” said Brewer. 

Brewer said he learned a lot from veteran C Ben Jones during his time in Tennessee. 

“I learned a lot from Ben,” Brewer said. “Ben, he’s been in the league 10-plus years, so his knowledge of the game is on another level, just going into practice, going into games. He sees defenses, and defensive coordinator’s schemes – everything from pre-snap to the snap. His whole mentality about everything, how he goes about things, how he prepares, I took all that in.”